Bert
Bate, the VSBC’s old stalwart,
was absent this year from the running of “his” cup. Struck
down by a heart attack, Bert was in hospital as the event was run.

Before the race it was thought
that the event was wrapped up for Don Preece’s rebuilt Pitstop, ex Assassin, ex Kangaroo Kid, ex Hydrophobia,
as the only real opposition was Pat Hawthorn’s Black Knight. BK
has proved she can beat the old Wickens hull on the right day.

Wrapped up the race may have
been, but the alloy cladding on Pitstop’s
bottom was not. It came off before the big event and the betting changed.

Harvey Gunn from Gunn’s Gulley in Gippsland hadn’t
been told that hydros such as Black Knight, Vulture and Miss Coldstream
were
expected to win on a course designed for them. He took runabout Combine
over the line first and blushed all the way to the prize-giving and the
bank.

Les Ramsay repeated his Griffith Cup form in Cheetah, by beating Black
Knight.

Among the notable DNF’s
was that amazing jet setter Tom Watts. Tom went like a shell for a
while and then, as usual, did not finish.

What can you say about a runabout
that demolished all the good hydros — that
puts the Griffith Cup right back in the melting pot?

Bert Brauman from Horsham,
one of Victoria’s largest country cities,
has bought one of the old Harborcraft hydros and has fitted a hemi to
it. The hull is a twin to Black Knight and with all the bugs ironed out
should be a real goer this season — or next.

Despite all the good hydros
around, there doesn’t seem to be much
that is going to upset the Kiwis and ANZ when they arrive.

Max Richardson is still trying
to get the right prop for Kinetic. The Repco Brabham sounds beautiful
but doesn’t go too well with no
prop.

Big Ray Adams is having plug
troubles with the blown 390 ci Ford in Miss Coldstream — when it does fire it sounds great — all
he has to do is make sure it keeps firing. From the Dave Gill yard, this
boat is strictly conventional in style.

Tony Pennington’s 155 hydro Mortician is getting the name of being
the best-looking trailer boat around. It hardly ever gets wet. Tony,
striving for perfection, rarely races unless the rig is right — when
he does he often wins but his policy of nothing unless it’s okay
is getting him lots of broadsides from the other 155 drivers.

OUTBOARDS were few and far
between at the Commodore’s Cup but
Jack Brown showed up with his tunnel. The inboarders were not willing
to race against the tight turning tunnel, bearing in mind a previous
accident caused by tunnels turning very quickly, and Jack had to race
as a hydro in the 155 Open class — against boats like Screamin’ Eagle.

If the “Eagle” is not the best 2½ litre displacement
hull in the world I’d like to see what is. She’s doing more
than 90!

AQUACROSS will be given a full trial at Albert Park soon after a successful
try-out in late October. Only three boats tried out but the results were
very gratifying. The result
seemed to indicate that known slow boats should have a good chance against
top liners.

As a guide, the following
lap times were recorded around the Albert Park ¾-mile circuit:
Ron Leaney in Lotus powered skiff Piranaha, 44.9 secs, Ron Loon in
SK Candy, 48.25 and Ian Harvey in hydro Eagle,
41.5 seconds.

At this stage figures may not mean a lot but after the December 4 meeting
the scheme will either have failed or succeeded.

If it is a success, the idea will be explained to all Australian clubs
via the APBA and SEACRAFT.

GRIFFITH CUP
FORM GUIDE

The
challenger. Air New Zealand with Keith McGregor on trailer. Score so
far: one bad defeat; one very good win at the Nationals — in
light water almost a certainty: 348 ci Chev.